Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 Burning questions for the 2020 season

The Jacksonville Jaguars are at a crucial juncture entering the 2020 season.

Just a few years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were in the AFC Championship Game and flirting with the possibility of making a dark-horse run to the Super Bowl. Of course, they ultimately fell short and things have fallen back consistently since then. Now they appear to be in the midst of a full rebuild.

The quarterback position has represented instability and, though they hope they lucked into a gem in Gardner Minshew, there’s no guarantee for the Jaguars that’s the case. Meanwhile, they have essentially gutted the defense that made them elite due to salary cap issues. Now, they may be competing for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, meaning they’re not expected to enjoy success in the 2020 season.

But even with the chips down in Jacksonville, that doesn’t mean there aren’t questions to be answered in the 2020 season. These five queries, in particular, will be a big part of defining the Jaguars’ future after this campaign.

5. Is Yannick Ngakoue in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ long-term plans?

Before the 2020 season begins, the big question that Jacksonville needs to answer concerns their star pass-rusher, Yannick Ngakoue. He’s been an absolute beast since entering the league but the relationship with the franchise has soured.

Currently, he’s slated to play the upcoming season on the franchise tag. However, it’s more feasible that he will be traded, something he’s publicly asked for. Subsequently, the question is actually what the Jaguars will be able to get in a trade after stubbornly not fully tearing things down.

4. Which offensive pieces are viable for the future?

One major thing that the Jaguars will need to define is who the offensive players on the roster are who deserve to be around for the long-haul. It appears that running back Leonard Fournette is not in that group but it remains to be seen how much value guys like D.J. Chark, Dede Westbrook, young players along the offensive line and even Minshew have long term. That’s something they need to work to define in the 2020 season.

3. How will the rookies step up?

Armed with two first-round selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Jaguars were able to start revamping their defense. They selected cornerback C.J. Henderson and edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson with those picks and then got wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. in the second round. These are all highly talented prospects but their rookie years will be in full focus as Jacksonville tries to see how much these players can contribute early on.

2. Can Taven Bryan take a step forward?

With players like Calais Campbell gone, the once-dominant Jaguars defensive line is now in flux. And that should put a ton of pressure on former first-round pick Taven Bryan.

Despite playing in all 32 games since becoming the No. 29 overall pick in 2018, Bryan has failed to really produce. He has only 3.0 sacks and just 53 total tackles, though his eight tackles for loss are something to hang your hat on for now. The big question, however, is if the young defensive lineman can come into a larger role and produce at a level you’d hope a first-round pick would.

1. Is Trevor Lawrence the endgame for the Jacksonville Jaguars?

This is the million-dollar question for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After the organization jettisoned Nick Foles, they are seemingly hitched to 2019 sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew — but maybe the Jags have different plans at quarterback.

As mentioned, the expectation is that Jacksonville might end up with the worst record in the NFL for the 2020 season. And that would put them in position to potentially land Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft or to trade it if they believe Minshew can be their franchise starter. Finding out the answer to this question may be the primary objective for the Jaguars this year.